Strathprints Institutional Repository
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Strathprints Institutional Repository Salama, Ashraf M. and Wiedmann, Florian and Khalfani, Fatma A. and Al- Maimani, Ahood (2013) Dynamics of populations and the everyday urban environment in the emerging city of Doha. In: 4th Annual Gulf Research Meeting, 2013-07-03 - 2013-07-05, University of Cambridge. (Unpublished) , This version is available at http://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/50979/ Strathprints is designed to allow users to access the research output of the University of Strathclyde. Unless otherwise explicitly stated on the manuscript, Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Please check the manuscript for details of any other licences that may have been applied. You may not engage in further distribution of the material for any profitmaking activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute both the url (http://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/) and the content of this paper for research or private study, educational, or not-for-profit purposes without prior permission or charge. Any correspondence concerning this service should be sent to Strathprints administrator: [email protected] GRM 2013 Gulf Research Meeting, Cambridge Workshop 6 Gulf Cities as Interfaces Dynamics of Populations and the Everyday Urban Environment in the Emerging City of Doha Authors Ashraf M. Salama, Florian Wiedmann, Fatma A. Khalfani, and Ahood Al-Maimani Institution Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Qatar University, P. O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar. Email Addresses: Prof. Dr. Ashraf M. Salama: [email protected] Dr. Florian Wiedmann: [email protected] Ms. Fatma A. Khalfani: [email protected] Ms. Ahood Al-Maimani: [email protected] ! Abstract The current fast track urban growth is an important characteristic of the emerging city of Doha. Such a growth is marked by intensive infrastructure projects, high rise clusters of glass towers, new cultural facilities and art museums, emerging residential environments on the periphery of the city, as well as hall mark events. However, very few studies have addressed several important growth aspects, including the examination of the way in which the inhabitants comprehend and react to their built environment and the resulting spatial experience. This paper examines the inhabitants’ spatial experience in key urban open spaces in the city by applying cognitive and behavioural mapping procedures coupled with an attitude survey. Applying the cognitive mapping technique, 108 responses were received, analysed, and classified under three categories a) living, working, and visiting patterns; b) comprehension of home range, home zone, and movement; and c) ethnic affiliation: Qataris and other Arab expatriates. Implementing direct systematic observation and behavioural mapping of key urban open spaces reveals important outcomes that include absence of physical aspects amenable for effective use while offering a pleasant experience for visitors. The findings contribute to an in-depth understanding of the inhabitants' spatial experience of the everyday urban environment of Doha. A conclusion is established to emphasise that by developing knowledge generated from research findings that are derived from the direct experience of inhabitants, the various aspects of how certain areas work within the urban structure of the city can be elucidated, while seeking means for improving the qualities of the everyday urban environment. Keywords: Doha, urbanism, spatial experience, everyday urban environment, urban spaces. 1. Introduction: Experiencing the City of Doha The city of Doha is experiencing continual rapid growth since the mid 1990s with new or emerging urban nodes and centres, housing developments, and a wide spectrum of mixed-use interventions. According to the United Nations records, it is anticipated that half of the world’s population will be living in cities by year 2025. The city of Doha would exceed that prediction since more than 80% of Qatar’s population already resides in the capital. The overall urban environment is thus becoming more and more important in the daily lives of over 1.7 million inhabitants who live there. The urban qualities of the city heavily impact on a wide range of elements and aspects of daily life such as living conditions, workplace characteristics, and the ! ! attractiveness and appeal of urban open spaces (Salama and Wiedmann, 2013-a & b). The regional and global importance of Doha has increased significantly over the past two decades and maintaining and sustaining the current growth of its urban population is seen as critical to the future development of the country. Hence, enhancing the quality and function of urban open spaces and the urban environment as whole is one of the most important considerations that would determine such a future. Little attention, however, has been paid to several important growth aspects, including the examination of the dialectic relationship between the city inhabitants and the urban environment, the understanding of the way in which the inhabitants comprehend and react to its built environment and the resulting spatial experience, as well as their attitudes toward newly urbanised spaces (Salama and Wiedmann, 2013). This paper utilizes techniques derived from the field of ‘Environment-Behaviour Research,’ typically defined as the systematic examination of how people interact and comprehend their surroundings. The paper provides an analytical understanding of how the residents of Doha identify with their surroundings, how they spatially experience the city, and how they relate to selected key spaces or urban areas. Based on applying cognitive mapping procedures together with an attitude survey and behavioural mapping technique, the paper explores urban areas in the city as perceived and experienced by various groups of residents. Urban open spaces in Doha are scattered around the city from its northern peripheries to its Centre, and in the south-western peripheries. Varying in form, function, and scale, some spaces are often located within enclave developments, or within larger urban interventions, while others represent portions of spaces with dense urban districts or open waterfronts. Within the city of Doha, twelve spaces can be identified as the most important open spaces: these include Katara Cultural Village, The Pearl Qatar Development, Corniche Area A near the Sheraton Hotel, Corniche Area B near the Al Mourjan Restaurant, Corniche Area C near MIA (the Museum of Islamic Art), Al Bidda Park, Souq Waqif Area A-Shops, Souq Waqif Area B–cafés and restaurants, Msheireb, Al Sadd Area, the Ramada Junction area, and Aspire/Villagio Zone (Figure 1). While the degree of public usage in these spaces varies dramatically, combined they provide a variety of activities and leisure opportunities which cater to the main socio-economic groups of Qataris and non-Qataris who reside in the city. Different cultural groups, age groups, and genders appear to experience the city of Doha, its overall urban environment, and its urban open spaces in very different ways (Salama and ! ! Gharib, 2012). These groups have different spheres of experience, interaction with, and interest in the spaces; the purpose for which they visit and interact with them varies dramatically. In addition, due to factors related to their cultural background, age, or gender, their understanding and perception of the city is quite different; this is generally based on the places where they live, work, visit, and how they move about the city. Their perception of the overall urban environment is defined by their personal experiences and relates to what different spaces within the city have to offer (Salama, 2011). While some inhabitants may enjoy key attractions such as the Corniche Waterfront Park or Al Bidda Park or the restored and rehabilitated traditional market, Souq Waqif , others may prefer the new, more exclusive, developments such as Katara Cultural Village or The Pearl Qatar development. Some may even like the dense urban areas and spaces that are characterised by affordable merchandising and shopping areas, while still others prefer open green spaces that satisfy their leisure time and recreational needs and those of their children. Fig. 1. Main features of the twelve most important urban spaces in Doha (Source: Authors). ! ! ! 2. A Mixed Research Methodology for Examining Inhabitants’ Experience Exploring how the city’s inhabitants’ experience it and its open spaces should go beyond interviewing a small group of inhabitants as this may support what is already self-evident. Rather, research techniques such as cognitive mapping, behavioural mapping and attitude surveys are ! ! needed to assess and interpret the way in which inhabitants comprehend different locations and their movement experiences with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of urban life in the city. 2.1. Method 1: Cognitive Mapping Understanding the Inhabitants’ Spatial Experience of the City Cognitive mapping is utilised a process composed of a series of psychological transformations by which individuals acquire, code, store, recall, and decode information about the relative locations and attributes in their everyday spatial environment (Downs and Stea, 1973). Thus, a cognitive map is a mental device that codes and simplifies the way in which the spatial environment is arranged and perceived (Ormrod, 2011). In essence, cognitive maps are a mental representation of physical locations and movement